The present invention relates to an improvement of a film scanning device which scans a color film to obtain image data, and which is provided in an automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus conducting a series of photographic processes for the color film.
As a general rule, a color negative film is subjected to film development, and then, is scanned by a film scanner so that images on the color negative film are converted into digital images which are used by a digital printer to make a print. However, in the winter season, or in a dry area, charged dust floating in a job environment or in air tends to stick to a processed film, and when converting into a digital image with a scanner by using the film on which the dust is sticking, there are caused noises and print quality is deteriorated, which has been a big problem.
Therefore, a neutralizing device or an air spray has been provided in a scanner section to remove dust, but it was not sufficient in the actual circumstances.
Further, it has been strongly demanded from the market side that efficiency of recording, on an image data recording medium, the image data obtained through scanning be enhanced in point of time, and that management of the image data recording medium be made easier.
As an apparatus to comply with the aforesaid demand, there has been known an automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus which conducts a series of photographic processes for a color negative film and which obtains image data by scanning the color film during the series of developing processes before the film is dried.
Image data obtained through scanning are used for making prints to be offered to a customer, or they are stored in a recording medium for recording the data desired by the customer. On the other hand, a film for which photographing processing has been finished is handed to a user, and the developed film can be used for reprinting, for image reading by a film scanner and for image processing.
In the conventional system, however, film scanning has been separated from outputting of images obtained through reading. In the conventional system, for example, print processing has been started after scanning of the film and photographic processing are completely finished, or only scanning of a film is conducted, and the film is scrapped during the processing, resulting in no implementation of print processing. Under this condition, a customer has to wait, and it is impossible for a photofinisher to conduct efficient processing.
In the known scanning of a film during a series of developing processes before the film is dried, it is difficult to obtain image data with stabilized image quality, which needs to be solved.
Tasks to be achieved by the invention include enhancement of output of image data obtained through scanning in the apparatus stated above, namely, enhancement of efficiency in terms of time for print processing or for recording on an image data recording medium, easy management of image data recording media, and improvement of image quality of image data obtained through scanning.
The object of the invention is attained by any of the following structures 1 through 22.
Structure 1: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there is provided an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, and the image data acquiring means scans a part of the transmission type film that is almost in the vertical direction.
Structure 2: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts a series of processes including color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing for a color film, and acquires image data by scanning the color film, wherein there are provided a processing tank with fixing ability, a stabilizing tank that conducts the stabilizing processing, and an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the color film that is on the way from the fixing tank to the stabilizing tank, and the image data acquiring means scans a part of the color film that is almost in the vertical direction.
Structure 3: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there is provided an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, and the image data acquiring means scans a part of the transmission type film that is almost in the horizontal direction, and is positioned above the part of the transmission type film in the vertical direction.
Structure 4: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts a series of processes including color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing for a color film image data acquiring means, and acquires image data by scanning the color film, wherein there are provided a processing tank with fixing ability, a stabilizing tank that conducts the stabilizing processing, and an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the color film that is on the way from the fixing tank to the stabilizing tank, and the image data acquiring means scans the color film that is almost in the horizontal direction, and is positioned above the part in the vertical direction.
Structure 5: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there are provided an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during of the photographic processing, and a roller that comes in contact with the transmission type film immediately before the path through which the transmission type film advances to the image data acquiring means, and a material of the roller has the water absorption property.
Structure 6: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts a series of processes including color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing for a color film image data acquiring means, and acquires image data by scanning the color film, wherein there are provided a processing tank with fixing ability, a stabilizing tank that conducts the stabilizing processing, an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the color film that is on the way from the fixing tank to the stabilizing tank, and a roller that comes in contact with the color film on the path through which the color film arrives at the image data acquiring means after coming out of a solution in the fixing tank, and a material of the roller has the water absorption property.
Structure 7: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 5 and 6, wherein the roller having the water absorption property is porous.
Structure 8: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 5 and 6, wherein a material of the surface of the roller having the water absorption property is either one of polybutyl terephthalate, polyphenylene ether, polypropylene, polyurethane, vinyl chloride, polyethylene and polyvinyl alcohol.
Structure 9: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there is provided an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, and the image data acquiring means scans the transmission type film whose conveyance is stopped.
Structure 10: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts a series of processes including color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing for a color film, and acquires image data by scanning the color film, wherein there are provided a processing tank with fixing ability, a stabilizing tank that conducts the stabilizing processing, and an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the color film that is on the way from the fixing tank to the stabilizing tank, and the image data acquiring means scans the color film whose conveyance is stopped.
Structure 11: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 9 and 10, wherein each of the transmission type film in Structure 9 and the color film in Structure 10 has a plurality of image frames, and the image data acquiring means scans the color film whose conveyance is stopped for each image frame.
Structure 12: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there are provided an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, and an image data recording means that records image data acquired by the image data acquiring means on an image data storing medium, and the image data recording means records collectively image data equivalent to one roll of the transmission type film.
Structure 13: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts a series of processes including color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing for a color film, and acquires image data by scanning the color film, wherein there are provided a processing tank with fixing ability, a stabilizing tank that conducts the stabilizing processing, an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the color film that is on the way from the fixing tank to the stabilizing tank, and an image data recording means that records image data acquired by the image data acquiring means on an image data storing medium, and the image data recording means records collectively image data equivalent to one roll of the color film.
Structure 14: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film having a magnetic layer, and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there are provided an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing and a magnetic information reading means that reads magnetic information recorded on the magnetic layer, and the magnetic information reading means reads out specific magnetic information recorded on the magnetic layer before the photographic processing.
Structure 15: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts a series of processes including color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing for a color film having a magnetic layer, and acquires image data by scanning the color film having the magnetic layer, wherein there are provided a magnetic information reading means that reads magnetic information recorded on the magnetic layer, a processing tank with fixing ability, a stabilizing tank that conducts the stabilizing processing, and an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the color film having the magnetic layer that is on the way from the fixing tank to the stabilizing tank, and the magnetic information reading means reads out specific magnetic information recorded on the magnetic layer before a series of color developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing processes are conducted.
Structure 16: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 14 and 15, wherein the specified magnetic information represents information concerning print sizes.
Structure 17: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 14 and 15, wherein the specified magnetic information represents information concerning conditions of photographing by a camera on the transmission type film in Structure 14 having the magnetic layer or the color film in Structure 15.
Structure 18: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 14 and 15, wherein the specified magnetic information represents information that specifies image frames which have been exposed.
Structure 19: The automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus according to Structures 14 and 15, wherein the specified magnetic information represents information that specifies image frames to be scanned by the image data acquiring means.
Structure 20: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there are provided at least an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, an image data storing means that stores image data acquired by the image data acquiring means, and an image recording means that records image data stored by the image data storing means or a recording medium.
Structure 21: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there are provided at least an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, an image data storing means that stores image data acquired by the image data acquiring means, and an image output means that outputs image data stored by the image data storing means.
Structure 22: An automatic photographic processing and scanning apparatus that conducts photographic processing for a transmission type film and scans the transmission type film to read as image data, wherein there are provided at least an image data acquiring means that acquires image data by scanning the transmission type film during the photographic processing, an image data storing means that stores image data acquired by the image data acquiring means, and a communication means that makes it possible to transmit the image data stored by the image data storing means through a network.